Monday, October 17, 2011

'No Fun League' Was Pretty Funny During Week Six

The NFL entertains millions of fans every season but is sometimes about as humorous as "The View." The "No Fun League" commissioner Roger Goodell will never be confused with Louis C.K. but this week's NFL story lines seemed like they written for a few episodes of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

It looks like Goodell will have his hands full following the escapades of Week Six.

The week began with Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall saying he was going to play like a "maniac" against the New York Jets on Monday night. The All-Pro player tried to rally his lowly team by going as far as to announce that he was going to get thrown out of the game by the second quarter and might even punch out Jets defensemen Antonio Cromartie or Bart Scott. Goodell was surely listening.

The fun continued in the second quarter of the St. Louis Rams-Green Bay Packers game when A.J. Hawk sacked Rams QB Sam Bradford and rubbed it in by flipping the bird towards his own bench and the Packers fans in Lambeau Field.

Hawk, who might have been angry at wearing the ugly Packers throw-back uniforms or celebrating the fact that it was his first solo-sack in nearly two years, later apologized. He claimed it was a "running joke" and didn't intend for "anyone to see it." Okay. You can't make these things up folks.

The "Lambeau Flip" was ignored by the officiating crew but lambasted by the game announcers on TV and it's a good bet the Commish will be pointing his own accusing finger at the linebacker.

The bizarre episodes continued with a near cage-match between head coaches Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz after an exciting game between the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. The two surprising teams exchanged six lead changes throughout the game and, during the mandatory mid-field after game handshake, Harbaugh's overenthusiastic grip and greet with a hard pat on the back riled losing coach Schwartz.

The Lions coach didn't take kindly to his exuberant counterpart and he chased Harbaugh down and started yelling at him. To paraphrase Mel Brooks: May the Schwartz be on you.

The two coaches had to be separated by staff members and the tussle got the surrounding players pumped up and a few more scuffles broke out at mid-field.

Harbaugh later accepted the blame and said, "I was really revved up. That wasn't me, I just shook his hand too hard."

It was even kind of comical-- in a Farrelly Brothers, ball-to-the-groin way-- seeing Saints head coach Sean Payton coaching from the bench in a leg brace after getting run over by his own player and breaking his knee cap. Sometimes humor hurts.

The only thing missing this week was a rant by the Sam Kinison of the NFL-- Rex Ryan. I guess three straight losses don't lead to a very funny punchline, but there's still one day to gather some material.

It looked like there was little too much frat-boy for the NFL's blood this week. Forget a finger, it's looks like Goodell will lay down his fist.